How to Keep the Odds in Your Favor

The great thing about stories is that, while they are cloaked in the world of another person, we can relate them back to our own story. We can identify with the challenges of characters, and find inspiration in their choices. Some books and movies go one step further, depicting entirely new worlds with conditions that resemble our own world, but are more exaggerated, giving us a mirror through which to examine ourselves as a society.

A recent example of this is the book-turned-movie The Hunger Games, which takes place in a society called Panem, an impoverished country divided into twelve districts and controlled by a rich ruling class. The children of Panem citizens are forced to participate in a lottery where each year, two children per district must compete in a televised fight to the death, allowing the government to maintain their iron grip on the people.

Sounds pretty grim, right? Under such circumstances, it’s not surprising that most of Panem’s citizens have given up on anything beyond basic survival. Even siblings and friends look away as their loved one is reaped for the Games, because in this society, people focus on saving themselves.

But not Katniss Everdeen. When her younger sister’s name is selected for the Hunger Games, Katniss makes the split-second decision to step forward and volunteer to take her sister’s place. Her love for her sister overpowers her sense of self-preservation, and her decision to do more than simply survive sets off a chain reaction that forever alters the status quo of Panem.

Living in a Less Than Ideal World

So, what does Katniss’s story have to do with us? The Divine Principle states, “We harm others because we cannot feel the pain and suffering of our neighbors as our own.” Our world may not be as oppressive as Panem, but we share the tendency to ignore the struggles of others as we go about our own lives. As wars are waged and shooting rampages make headlines, it can be tempting to keep our head down and focus on our own well-being. But when we make the brave choice to live for more than just ourselves, like Katniss, we keep a flame of goodness alive in even the darkest, most hopeless of places.

Be the Hero in Your Own Story

Choosing to step forward on someone else’s behalf is challenging, as doing so can make us feel vulnerable and uncomfortable, but pushing past that fear changes our view of the world, and results in us living life more fully! When Katniss thinks of others, she is fighting to remain human in a society that prefers she lose that humanity.

Just like the Girl on Fire, if we find the courage to think of others in a world that encourages us to think only of ourselves, we can ignite a spark in those around us to do the same.

Channel your inner Katniss by reflecting on how you relate to the world around you, and challenge yourself to take that relationship one step further. For example, if you have been disconnected from current global affairs, try to watch a news story as you would watch a movie, with empathy for the characters; this can help you feel more connected to our world’s struggles.

Also, don’t forget that there are plenty of people to volunteer your kindness to in your daily life! From giving a sandwich and a smile to the homeless person on your daily commute, to having a long overdue conversation with a sibling, there is always ample opportunity to give of ourselves.